Cuba leased the southern portion of Guantanamo Bay to the US on February 23, 1903, as part of the Cuban-American Treaty that allowed the US military to construct a permanent naval base on the site. The base has been in regular use since its establishment, and is a source of consistent tension between the US and Cuban governments. The facilities at Guantanamo Bay have taken on special significance since the September 11 terrorist attacks. The base hosts detention facilities used to incarcerate individuals suspected of terrorist activity that were captured by the US military during the War on Terror, which has been a source of both domestic and international concern. The legal status of Guantanamo detainees is hotly contested -- as is the prisoners' lack of access to US legal rights such as habeas corpus, due process and a speedy trial. In addition, allegations of the mistreatment and torture of